Backup running back Lorenzo Taliaferro out for a few weeks with MCL injury

The Ravens were hoping to avoid injuries like this, but the news is in and backup running back Lorenzo Taliaferro is out with an MCL sprain. He is expected to miss the first few weeks of the season.

RB Lorenzo Taliaferro has MCL injury and will be out "a few weeks" coach John Harbaugh said

— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) August 24, 2015

Injuries to ligaments are always difficult because there is little you can do outside of rest and ice/heat to combat minor tears. Larger tears obviously require surgery and would sideline players for much longer, if not an entire season. Even when they don't make a player miss a bunch of time, they can nag on during the regular season, limiting the player's success.

Luckily for the Ravens, Taliaferro's MCL injury appears to be a relatively minor one and with a little rest, he should be back at full strength. We'll know more as the weeks count down on that front.

The injury makes the investment of a fourth rounder in RB Javorius 'Buck' Allen that much more important however. I'd imagine that in the remainder of training camp, we'll see a larger battle between Allen and Terrence Magee for the backup spot and short yardage.

Magee is a player that has looked great during his time with the Ravens. Undrafted out of LSU, Magee has shown flashes of speed and an ability to be a bruise back in training camp, regularly churning out five or six yards a carry. Overshadowed by the wide receiver battle thus far, Magee has been making a case for the Ravens to hold onto four rushers this season and with Taliaferro out for a couple of weeks, could even make a case for seeing some serious carries.

We'll know more about Taliaferro's injury as the weeks go by and he either returns to action or is forced to miss a little extra time. Hopefully for the Ravens, LT is able to go sooner rather than later.